Majlis elections: “Maldivians have said yes to President Yameen’s strong leadership” – Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon has described the Progressive Coalition’s victory in the Majlis elections as vote of confidence in President Abdulla Yameen as well as a signal to foreign powers to stay out of the country’s affairs.

“Maldivians have said yes to President Yameen’s strong leadership,” said Dunya.

She also interpreted the coalition victory as a sign of voters’ faith in the leadership of her father, former President and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – President Yameen’s half-brother.

Fellow cabinet member, Tourism Minsiter Ahmed Adeeb, reiterated Dunya’s comments during a press conference held today, adding that opposition MPs would now be unable to further “obstruct” the government’s efforts.

“This shows that the ideology of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the policies of President Abdulla Yameen has the full support of the people as well as the extent of support for [Progressive Coalition partners] Honourable Gasim Ibrahim and Honourable Ahmed Siyam Mohamed,” said Adeeb.

Dunya’s press statement came as the results of the elections to the 18th People’s Majlis are being finalised. Preliminary reports suggest a clear victory for the PPM and its allies – the Elections Commission is expected to announce the preliminary results in the coming hours.

“I wish to congratulate the people of Maldives for their belief in the value of democracy. The world should not underestimate the perseverance of Maldivians. I also wish to congratulate the Elections Commission for holding the elections in an efficient, free, fair, and transparent manner,” she stated.

Dunya served as the State Minister for Foreign Affairs under former President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, and was a key figure in defending the legitimacy of Dr Waheed’s cabinet in the international community following former President Nasheed’s allegations of coup d’état following his February 2012 exit from power.

Dunya further said “yes to the Government’s foreign policy that is aimed at building national resilience of the Maldives; and yes to the Government’s firm stand of helping Maldivians to shape their own destiny.”

“The Elections also shows that Maldivians have said a resounding ‘NO’ to the efforts of some to invite foreign interference in domestic politics through a number of statements issued telling Maldivians how to organise our own affairs”.

“I wish to congratulate the people of Maldives for their belief in the value of democracy. The world should not underestimate the perseverance of Maldivians. I also wish to congratulate the Elections Commission for holding the elections in an efficient, free, fair, and transparent manner”.

The foreign minister’s praise of the Maldivian people – whom she stated have shown  “tremendous determination” to resist attempts to cause “internal disharmony by inviting international pressure” – echoed statements issued earlier this month.

On March 3 – after the European Union and civil society groups had voiced concern over the actions of the Supreme Court – Dunya requested that international communities refrain from comment which “undermine” the Maldivian judicial system.

International concern at that time had come in response to court’s pursuit of contempt of court charges against the Elections Commission (EC) over comments made  in a privileged parliamentary committee regarding the annulment of last year’s presidential election first round.

The Supreme Court accused the EC of contempt, claiming it had criticised the verdict which had annulled the first round of presidential elections held in September 2013, as well as disobeying a Supreme Court order by dissolving eight political parties last month.

The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the senior members of the Elections Commission just weeks before the parliamentary elections – a decision roundly condemned by the international community.

“We request our international partners to support us. We request you to contribute constructively in overcoming our challenges. We urge you not to undermine our judicial system,” said Dunya during the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

“We call on all to respect our institutions, young though they may be. And we urge you to base your partnership with us on dialogue and cooperation, not on judgment and retribution,” she added.

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15 thoughts on “Majlis elections: “Maldivians have said yes to President Yameen’s strong leadership” – Foreign Minister”

  1. UN, and EU and other foreign bodies must not try to implant thier agent like Nasheed as our leader .

    They need to start to learn to work with the leaders that we , the people of Maldives chose and not otherwise.

    we do not want this country be like another Irag,Syria or Afghan.

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  2. Th reason they're talking about "foreign interference" is because they're going to start doing some very unpopular things very soon which will be condemned by the international community. Things like refusal to reform the judiciary and adhering to international standards of human rights. Maumoon family has no use for these things, which is why international condemnation of their actions distresses them and they resort to calling it "foreign interference"

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  3. Now that there is an explicit majority for ruling coalition, as they have announced, there is now NO MORE room for excuses by Yameen Government to implement development plans

    Yes, This result should end all excuses. Citizens should not hear no more nahhh nahhh exudes from Government

    There should be no more scapegoating, spinning the facts, bogeyman tactics or blame shifting for next 5 years

    ....... Don't spoil your victory PPM. Let's see if you can walk the talk, now that citizens have given you all the chance they can

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  4. .... but I cannot help to hear the first excuse

    Let's guess..
    - There is no budget.
    - MDP destroyed everything and it will take 4.5 years to return to stability
    - the Maldives is too small for fast development
    - global warming can slow down Hulumale Bridge by 6 years 3 months

    .. Etcc

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  5. "Well done and welcome to another 30 years of rule," the dictator says with a loud and evil laugh. And the USA and India, who were the supporters of coup regimes, keeps watching. with an equal evil grin.

    Bye, bye, stuip Maldivians be them illiterate or uneducated, literarate or post graduates, poor or doing-ok, religious or irreligious, into politics or not.

    The FUTURE IS DECIDED for at least one two generations - the 30 years which began in 1978 has secured another 30 years. That's a total of 60 years which is about the average of a person's age in the Maldives - in short a generation.

    You all have sold the rights of your kids too. No quality universities in the past 30 years has put your lives in misery. The same will, for sure, happen to your kids. (I cry for all the kids' future - inclusive of your kids and mine.)

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  6. Nasheed is few of his close buddies had robbed this country and country is being drag to 15 years back ward.

    This is no doubt and records are there to prove.

    EC building Nasheed constructed in Addu is also an example. He used that an excuse to rob over 600 million .

    GMR case is another example and Nasheed had robbed millions from that deal.

    Thilafushi project is another example where millions were robbed.

    We can name hundreds of small projects where money is being robbed .

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  7. Stupid Hero,then Nasheed must be the richest man in town.Get real bro,you sound like ladder umaru or incest lover mullah Imran

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  8. Stupid Hero,clique college is offering a three month English course for morons like you.You gollah lover y don't you ponder and think,if not for Abidhaage mode you or I wouldn't be talking here,you would be given a ministerial postion and I would be in gamaadhoo for dephiling His excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

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  9. Alright, so you have the majority now in Majlis. What exactly do you intend to do with that? Would you deliver on all those election promises? Will you reform the failing institutions?

    What excuses will you come up with now? Out of the last 37 years, 34 of them have been ruled by the same family, i.e. over 92% of the last 37 years, the Maldives has been at the hands of the Gayyoom family.

    There is no room for excuses. It's time to deliver. However, I doubt that would happen. Why? The last 37 years speak for themselves.

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  10. You ask a PPM gunda 'what records', and they comically fall silent.

    You guys got robbed by yourselves; now pay up the remittance fee to GMR. Think you can? Your greed brought you to ruin.

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  11. Hero will be blaming 3 years of Nasheed for everything for the next 30 years.

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  12. And it's already been 2 years since the thugs gave Nasheed the boot. How about PPM actually comes up with real economic policies rather than blaming unicorns, jinns and mdp for their own corruption and incompetence.

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  13. z on Sun, 23rd Mar 2014 5:12 PM

    “Well done and welcome to another 30 years of rule,” the dictator says with a loud and evil laugh. And the USA and India, who were the supporters of coup regimes, keeps watching. with an equal evil grin.

    Bye, bye, stuip Maldivians.

    Z.ON SUN, WHAT YOU SAD WAS NOT CORRECT.
    YOU CANT BLAMED MALDIVIANS.
    THE MOVEMENT GAYOOM DOGS TOOK OVER THE GOVERNMENT,THEY BROUGHT A SITUATION IN MALDIVES, (CRY FOR HUNGER) THEN THEY PRINTED CURRENCY NOTES THREW TO PUBLIC.

    WE SUPPORTED NASHEE VERY MUCH, AND HAND OVER THE POWER TO HIM. BUT HE MISLED US. HE WAS STUPID. HE IS NOT A STRONG PERSON TO BE A PRESIDENT IN ANY NATION, DURING SUCH PERIOD.HE COULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE EVIL FORCE, OR SENT THEM TO INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE.
    BUT NASHEED WANTED TO SHAW PEOPLE OF MALDIVES THE INTEGRITY OF HIS PERSONAL SIDE.

    1.WE GAVE HIM POWER. GASIM SUPPORTED AS MANY, BUT NASHEED CHASED THEM.(STUPID)
    2.THE DAY COUPE GOVERNMENT WAS IN FORCE (95% OF THE MALDIVIANS WAS WITH HIM TO PARALYZE COUP GOVERNMENT, BUT HE FAILED.
    3.THE MOVEMENT YAMEED TOOK OFFICE, ALL GAYOOMS BUGS CAME BACK TO MALDIVES, AND TOOK OLD POSTS,MUCH COMFORTABLY.

    Nasheed is responsible for this.

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  14. @109: Nasheed's a peacenik. I dont know why the PPM is working so hard to remove him, when they risk a militant warhawk taking over the MDP and turning it from a harmless opposition party to a determined resistance organization.

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